The remarkable opening address by Howard Sackstein at the Absa Jewish Achiever Awards 2021

Its sometimes hard to be optimistic in the middle of a pandemic Often its difficult to be hopeful when the lights turn off or the tap runs dry At times, its trying to be positive when we’ve seen; • Violence and looting, • state capture and corruption and • a government incapable of protecting its own citizens In truth its been a very hard year. • A year of loss and isolation • A year of where looting shattered our dreams of a unified nation _____________________________________ But - we are buoyed by hope: • Hope that the worst of the pandemic is behind us – today there are more vaccines than arms • Hope that those responsible for the looting of our nation will find themselves in jail. The past year has seen the most powerful man in the country imprisoned for contempt of court We’ve witnessed Judge Zondo air humiliating testimony to expose the rot of our government We’ve applauded the constitutional court as it entrenched the rule of law We’ve celebrated the largest commodity boom of our generation And a year ago - who would have conceived of a strengthened rand, a current account surplus So in a complex and complicated world – hope is a choice An active decision, a decision to believe that our best days are still before us And so perspective is everything I deliver these opening remarks from here, Villa Arcadia, on Parktown ridge in Johannesburg. In these Herbert Baker halls, where Randlords Lionel and Florence Phillips built their home and found a new beginning after the Jameson Raid, overlooking the jacaranda forest of the city. It was in these oak paneled halls that the Jewish Orphanage, Arcadia housed orphans for nearly a century. It was to these majestic rooms that the Ochburg orphans delivered from near death in Eastern Europe would survive, build, hope and thrive. That is one of the great lessons of our community. In the 200 years since we arrived in South Africa we have built shuls, and schools, and welfare organizations that rival the best in the world. If you look at what we as a community have done in Operation Hunger and Afrika Tikkun and Ikamva Labantu and the Angel Network and Chiva and the Moshal Scholarship foundation or what the Kirsch family have done for this country during lockdown– we are not here as guest, we are here as the proudest South Africans, demanding our rightful place in this nation, having given more than anyone could ever have expected and contributing more than anyone could have ever dreamed. This is what we celebrate tonight together with our nominees and winners, proud extraordinary South Africans, rooted in the dusty soil of this nation. As a community, we have made a profoundly and disproportionate contribution to the development of South Africa, • in the struggle for freedom, • in the development of the economy, • in the arts and sciences, in culture and philanthropy. This is US – this is who WE are as a community, proud, un-abashed, unwilted as we emerge into hope. While there are those who wish to silence us, while there are those who wish to write us out of history, while there are those who question us at the judicial services commission and try isolate us from the rest of this nation – let them heed one lesson – the lesson of History You are here where you are today, because of us, not despite us This is our nation for South Africa belongs to all who live in it Those were the words of the Freedom Charter, drafter by members of our community and later We, the people of South Africa, Recognise the injustices of our past; Honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land; Respect those who have worked to build and develop our country; and Believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity The preamble of our constitution Written by us and all the people of South Africa. And so tonight together with our partners Absa, the Kirsh Family, Europcar and Mann Made Media we celebrate not only our nominees and winners – we celebrate the best in South Africa. For the past 22 years, the South African Jewish Report has been the point of news and contact for our community, the only national newspaper of South African Jewry, published at enormous cost, free of charge to all. And …Since the pandemic began we have also run 126 Webinars watched by over 2 million people. We have created a digital town square for our community – a place to learn and discuss and debate and kibbitz - a place to laugh and sing This is our contribution to our community and we ask you to join us in this mission to re-invent what community looks like in the 21st century. Tonight, in broad brushstrokes we paint for you a Masterpiece of Hope. We as the non-executive board of the SA Jewish Report together with our professional staff and the Jewish Achiever Awards Committee welcome you to the Absa Jewish Achiever Awards 2021.